Duplicates of Recurring Appointments

[redvolvodavid]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
Processor: Intel
Email Client: Exchange

I have recurring appointments recurring daily, even if they are only yearly appointments (like a birthday). So it shows that the same people have a birthday every day...

I am syncing through my Exchange 03 server and with Entourage 08.

It shows the max (100ish) of appointments each day and I can't use the calendar function at all as it is right now. I'm updated to the latest service packs, etc.

Please help!

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Hi,

I have recurring appointments recurring daily, even if they are only
yearly appointments (like a birthday). So it shows that the same people
have a birthday every day...

Do you have SyncServices enabled in the Entourage prefs?? If yes it's a
known issue.
Not sure if it's a problem in Apple's or Microsoft's hands, but they are
both fully aware of the issue.

Corentin

 

[redvolvodavid]

No SyncServices enabled. Should it be? It sounds like from your message that it is a bad thing, and could be causing the problems-but I'll enable it if I need to.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

No SyncServices enabled. Should it be? It sounds like from your message
that it is a bad thing, and could be causing the problems-but I'll
enable it if I need to.

It's buggy as hell.
If the SyncServices are not enabled in the preferneces and you are not
synching events with iCal, then it's another - more rare - issue with
the Exchange server.

Make sure Entourage is fully up to date and ask the exchange admin to do
the same on his end.
It shoudl have been corrected several patches ago,


Corentin

 

[Kerry]

Corentin is correct if you do have sync services enabled. Just in case
you do reference Apple's support doc TS1627 which now differentiates
between Leopard and Snow Leopard. Then, after following that if
required use the following workaround for Entourage sync's:

There are numerous issues with Sync Services and Entourage and for
that matter other third party programs that use sync services. Using
the Apple apps iCal and Addressbook are fairly reliable but may not
meet one's needs. There is a workaround that has been employed in
Entourage for over a year.

It involves:

- having only one module at any time turned on in Ent08 sync serv prefs
- generally, keep your most active module turned on which is probably
calendars
- when you need to sync with another module turn the current active
module off and then the one you want to sync with on then reverse when
done

For first initial syncs to establish sync:

1. Backup iCal, Addressbook and Entourage's main identity
2. Delete the Entourage calendar in iCal if it exists (if it is the
only calendard create a temp cal to delete ent)
3. Turn on sync serv prefs and click a module and choose combine - in
the case of calendar an Entourage cal will be created in iCal (if you
had to create a temp cal in iCal delete it)

Now just use your computer as normal switching modules only to sync
them. Note a delete on the handheld of say a contact and you need to
switch Ent to Contacts as the active first otherwise a delete will
only be combined and added back in.

Thiis workaround is fairly reliable. Snow Leopard introduced a couple
of new issues but it still seems reliable.

 

[redvolvodavid]

I have the most recent service packs, etc..., for both Entourage and Exchange Server. Doing the "work-around" isn't a good option-I need the Microsoft software for this users mac to work with the Exchange Server as advertised. It's so frustrating.

Any other ideas, or should I look into upgrading my exchange to 08 so we can just use the native mail/ical/contacts with the snow leopard exchange connectivity? I've actually been looking at this option for a while, but can't make a decision on it-any advice would be greatly appreciated.

And if there are any other solutions you might have-I'd appreciate those too.

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

For first initial syncs to establish sync:

1. Backup iCal, Addressbook and Entourage's main identity
2. Delete the Entourage calendar in iCal if it exists (if it is the
only calendard create a temp cal to delete ent)
3. Turn on sync serv prefs and click a module and choose combine - in
the case of calendar an Entourage cal will be created in iCal (if you
had to create a temp cal in iCal delete it)

FYI, that's what I used to do in Leopard and I still eventually got
duplicates.

Corentin

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Any other ideas, or should I look into upgrading my exchange to 08 so we

You mean Exchange 2007??
That would be an improvement for Entourage as well.
Not sure SyncServices would be less buggy though.

can just use the native mail/ical/contacts with the snow leopard
exchange connectivity? I've actually been looking at this option for a
while, but can't make a decision on it-any advice would be greatly
appreciated.

It's an option. You could also only use Exchange 2007 in iCal and keep
on using Entourage with the server if you wanted too.
That would bypass SyncServices which is the root of all our problems at
this point.


Corentin

 

[redvolvodavid]

Yes-sorry. I meant Exchange 07...all these different versions of everything out there! ha.

I don't have the SyncServices set-up on Entourage. I set it up on another mac and didn't have any problems, but that was to my personal exchange account with less than 100 calendar appointments. The account that I'm having problems with is my bosses with probably a few thousand appointments and entries in his calendar. When I synced with exchange on my macbook, I had no problems. When I tried with his-thats where I got the perpetual list of appointments each day looking like the day before with no difference. Appearing to be recurring appointments on every day of the year...

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

I don't have the SyncServices set-up on Entourage.

Then if it's Exchange only, upgrading to 2007 might change things
completely, especially since you could then connect through Exchange Web
Services instead of WebDAV.
The mew method/protocol is a huge improvement. (and that's why Apple
uses it for Mail as well).

I set it up on
another mac and didn't have any problems, but that was to my personal
exchange account with less than 100 calendar appointments. The account
that I'm having problems with is my bosses with probably a few thousand
appointments and entries in his calendar. When I synced with exchange on
my macbook, I had no problems. When I tried with his-thats where I got
the perpetual list of appointments each day looking like the day before
with no difference. Appearing to be recurring appointments on every day
of the year...

I'm not sure the problem is with the number of events. It's moire likely
to be with something specific in the events that corrupts them and makes
them repeat by themselves.

Corentin

 

[Kerry]

FYI, that's what I used to do in Leopard and I still eventually got
duplicates.

Corentin

--
--- Office:Mac MVP http://www.cortig.net/wordpress/ ---
http://www.mvps.org - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
MVPs are not MS employees - Les MVP ne travaillent pas pour MS
Remove "NoSpam" to e-mail me - Retirez "NoSpam" pour m'crire

Really Corentin. Yeah, its the only way I've been able to continue to
use Entourage but since its a manual process if I forget to turn of a
module when I'm switching for sync it will lead to dups. Even if I
remember right away I forgot to turn of a module, something happens in
sync services. Dups might not appear immediately but will eventually.
Its so frustrating and in over a year and half no progress. But, I
wouldn't expect this will be fixed anytime soon and maybe never based
on my sources.

I tried Contactizer Pro only to also find they are having a terrible
time with Sync services. Check their website at Objective-
decisions.com and look at their roadmap and what they are going to do
in v3.9. They're introducing a whole new sync architecture for their
product but it will not help us Entourage users. They're fedup with
sync services and will no longer write to it. When it fails it kind of
takes out the whole machine as syncserver starts using 100% of the
system. A complete uninstall and re-install is required.

I hate it that if we use a Mac we are sort of compelled to use the
Apple apps for relatively reliable syncs. The Apple ads, though cute,
fail to mention be prepared to loose your freedom and use our apps
solely for sync. But hey, we give it to you for free so what they
hey!!!

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

Really Corentin. Yeah, its the only way I've been able to continue to
use Entourage but since its a manual process if I forget to turn of a
module when I'm switching for sync it will lead to dups.

In Snow Leopard and with Exchange 2007 you have another option:
- turn Sync Services off
- sync to Exchange 2007 with Entourage
- Sync to exchange 2007 with iCal and the Address book.


It keeps everything in sync, without using Sync Services.

Corentin

 

[Kerry]

FYI, that's what I used to do in Leopard and I still eventually got
duplicates.

Corentin

--
          --- Office:Mac MVP  http://www.cortig.net/wordpress/---
       http://www.mvps.org      -    http://mvp.support..microsoft.com
    MVPs are not MS employees    -    Les MVP ne travaillent pas pour MS
 Remove "NoSpam" to e-mail me    -      Retirez "NoSpam" pourm'écrire

Corentin, its so funny. No sooner had I written you I had to add a
contact so I switched in Entourage from Calendar to Contacts and
sync'd my new contact then switched back to calendar. However, later
in the day I remembered that I needed to add someone else to my
Contacts. When I switched, this time the Contacts list grew from 372
to 544 with no Categories for some reason I have no idea. This was a
first but I've only been running Snow Leopard for two weeks now.

As I looked at the duplicated contacts I realized they were all
organizations. I had a terrible time getting this sorted out. Sync for
some reason also disconnected in Calendars. After much messing around,
I finally had to get things back in sync by restoring Entourage from a
backup I had made just prior to the action and then over write
Addressbook. Oddly and I've seen this in Snow Leopard before all
organizations came in unticked. There's some bug that causes
organizations sync'd fresh from Entourage to come in without the
company ticked. This also happens in Contactizer Pro and it was them
that identified this Snow Leopard bug to me. So in the name column
they all showed no name. However, I tested all my modules in Entourage
for sync and they were sync'g fine. So, I went through all the no name
contacts and changed them to Company.

However, its all so tiring that we have to keep going through this.
Now I have to sync my handhelds from scratch to get them in line with
the desktop. I can't believe I've been dealing with this nonsense for
over a year and a half. There's only one problem I have with my Mac
and its sync and for this one reason only I have so many times felt
like throwing it out the window. Hopefully though I remain rational
and sell it first. Plus, it might hit someone when it gets to the
ground. I don't want to go to jail over sync services. Yes your honor,
I'm guilty of sync services rage

 

[Corentin Cras-Méneur]

However, its all so tiring that we have to keep going through this.
Now I have to sync my handhelds from scratch to get them in line with
the desktop. I can't believe I've been dealing with this nonsense for
over a year and a half.

Every time there is either a System or Office update, I have hopes it's
going to get better.
It usually does, but millimeter by millimeter...

There's only one problem I have with my Mac
and its sync and for this one reason only I have so many times felt
like throwing it out the window. Hopefully though I remain rational
and sell it first. Plus, it might hit someone when it gets to the
ground. I don't want to go to jail over sync services. Yes your honor,
I'm guilty of sync services rage

In my case, Spanning Tools for Mac did a LOT of good for my Sync Service
and MobileMe issues.
(And I sure should write up a blog post about it :-\ )

Corentin